


a little bit more of yourself

by Anonymous



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Billy Hargrove Loves Steve Harrington, Gay Billy Hargrove, Inspired By Tumblr, M/M, Soft Billy Hargrove, fanon meets canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29131791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Billy cuts through an alleyway on his way to buy milk and ends up in Hawkins where he still lives with his dad and annoying step-sister.Billy doesn't know what is going on but at least it's not the Upside Down. At least his money's good in this other dimension, even if everyone thinks he's gay.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50
Collections: Anonymous





	a little bit more of yourself

**Author's Note:**

> i don't go here. i just got tired of soft Billy and snapped, i guess.

"Where have you been?" Max demands, dogging Billy's footsteps.

"Out," Billy says. He tries to shut the door in her face, wants a moment's peace so his brain can have a breakdown that apparently in this universe, he never moved away from Cherry Lane. That he never moved in with Steve. He’s lucky he’s wearing jeans and a faded band shirt, that it was laundry day. He doesn’t know what this version of Hawkins would act like if Billy was in one of his usual shorts and floral tanks, hair braided over his ear.

He wonders what his relationship with Steve is like, if he even has one.

"Are your nails painted?" Max's voice rises in incredulity.

"Yeah. So I stop biting them." Billy shrugs and sits down on his mattress. It squeaks under his weight and he scowls. "Been getting better at having the polish actually stay on my nails, not around them."

"You're an idiot." Now Max is scowling at him. "Did you trip and fall this afternoon? Your dad is going to be home in a half hour! You are so lucky I didn't give the remover back to my mom after Jane left last month."

"It'll be fine." Billy says, even though he's not sure it will be. He hasn’t had to deal with Neil in months, where he lives. He doesn’t understand why this version of himself still lives here.

"Don't even start with me," Max hisses and stomps out of the room. She's back with her arms full of cotton puffs and a bottle. "Give me your hand, unless you want to get beat tonight."

"Uh, no." Billy grumbles. "Thanks."

That simple word is enough to have Max's hands stilling on top of his own. She scoots back on the mattress, knees pulled up to her chest.

"Okay, who are you? Mind Flayer part two? If you hurt my brother, I will figure out a way to kill you and do it slowly."

"Whoa!" Billy throws his hands out and Max flinches back. He freezes.

"Max," he starts, heart in his throat about Max living under Neil in this sideways universe. One where he doesn't have Steve in his corner or a place of their own. "Max, I would never hurt you. I hope you know that."

She watches him, suspicion clear across her freckled features.

"I'm not from here."

"No shit, Sherlock," Max snaps. Her eyes are narrowed, mean. Billy’s seen the look plenty of times in the mirror but never on her. "Go back wherever the hell you came from. Leave all of us alone, or you're going to regret it."

"No no, I am Billy. I'm still your step-brother! I just," Billy swallows. "I'm gay."

"Yeah," Max says. "I know. Remember, the whole reason we left California in the first place?"

"In my version of Hawkins, I'm gay. I live with Steve Harrington, we're together. I went out to get some milk and cut through an alleyway. Suddenly, I'm in Hawkins but I still live at home and you're clearly not believing me." He finishes with a heavy sigh, as Max continues to stare from the other end of the bed.

"I don't know if I believe you or not," Max shrugs. "I do know that if we don't get this polish off your nails, your dad will throw a fit. He's been in an okay mood lately. I guess you don't eat at home any longer?"

"No, I moved out months ago." The nail polish remover smells astringent and it's cool against his nail, his finger tips when Max holds the soaked cotton ball against the deep purple color.

"That's good," Max says quietly. "I think you're saving up, here. The real you hasn't said but it probably won't be long."

"I can't believe I stayed," Billy looks around his old room, the worn posters and dirty clothes.

"Yeah," Max echoes hollowly. "Can't believe you stayed."

Billy feels like he's missing something important but it doesn't come to him. Max takes the last of the polish off his nails just as Susan comes home with dinner. He manages to get through the meal with minimal talking and Max chattering away. It doesn't feel like the first time she's done this and something sour starts to grow in his stomach.

They don't speak the rest of the night.

* * *

Once he figures out where he was, Billy first goes home to Cherry Lane.

“What are you doing here? Did you forget your keys again?”

“No,” Billy answers, confused. He covers it with a sneer.

“Then what are you doing here? You know you’re persona non grata around here after the whole kiss fest of ‘86! If Neil sees you here, we will both be in trouble.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Go home, Billy.” Max pushes him toward the door. “I’ll tell Steve you’re on your way.”

None of that helps Billy’s head and that’s how Steve comes to find him at the bar down the street. At least his money’s good here, whatever version of Hawkins this is. He keeps waiting for vines and ash to fall from the sky but the sun stubbornly shines.

Billy still can’t explain how he ended up here, this Hawkins where he wears crop tops at any time of the year and is roommates, probably more with the pretty boy jock from high school. At least Steve has only tried to hug him from behind once, nearly gotten his block knocked off and then stepped away muttering something about consent.

Billy didn’t dare to ask any questions about that can of worms.

It becomes clear, with the hug and the apartment he had never seen before let alone have a key to, that Billy is not from around here. Of course the nerd squad is involved at the idea of science and things move quickly after that.

In the end, it takes more time to figure out where he and the hippie should be standing in order to exchange places than to get in touch with the other side. They pass notes through the basket of Steve’s pool filter, wrapped up in three Ziploc baggies. There’s a flash of light and everything, like something out of a movie but after what he’d survived, Billy isn’t casting stones.

They stare at each other, two Billy Hargroves, in the same sort of dark watery place the girl had spied on them from some summers ago.

* * *

Billy looks him up and down, well aware that the behind the smiling mask the other Billy wears is doing the same to him. He reaches for a cigarette and his lighter, the familiar act soothing even if it was slightly stale.

"So I guess you got out?" Billy blows out smoke, tries not to laugh when the other one makes a face. Maybe he'd quit. "Don't see any bruises on you, unless you got a kinder version of dad along with all that getup."

"Nah, I moved out," the hippie flowerchild says with a shrug. "Living with Steve, Steve Harrington."

"Of course you are," Billy grumbles. "Let me guess, he's pretty when he cries? And what, you just stop by every other week and make sure Sue and Max are okay? Do you even have a plan for that? You seem like the kind of guy who plans ahead." Billy isn't, he likes to live in the moment. Drive fast, die young; he knows that's where his life is headed and has more or less made his peace with it.

At that question, the hippie blinks and Billy watches with no pleasure as the light behind his eyes dawns. "Yeah," Billy flicks at the wheel of his lighter, just to occupy his hands. "You think just 'cause you left home that it was all over? Good thing you're pretty, since I got all the brains between us."

“Let’s just go home,” Billy the weaker says. “Forget all about this with some weed, I’m sure.”

“Great,” Billy sneers. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

He steps through the puddle, falls and falls like Alice travelling to Wonderland. He lands in a crouch next to Steve’s pool, a headache already pounding at his temples.

He groans and topples over to concrete the minute he tries to stand up.

“Yeah, just give it a minute or three,” Steve’s voice is firm above him, ordering Billy to rest.

“Thank god you’re back,” Billy slurs, heartfelt. “You were a pansy over there.”

Someone snorts behind him and Billy doesn’t need to open his eyes to know that Steve’s probably put his hands on his hips in consternation.

“I’ll show you pansy ass,” Steve bends down to promise Billy in his ear, voice low. “Just as soon as you’re back in fighting shape.”


End file.
